In a previous post, we passed along a report from Sherdog.com that AKA and the UFC had reopened discussions regarding the huge fallout which was first reported last night. It appears one result of those talks is that Jon Fitch is back with the UFC. According to MMA Rated, Fitch patched things up with Lorenzo Fertitta, not Dana White. Oh, and now Fitch says it was never even about the agreement, it was about Dana White’s approach.
After speaking with UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta via phone, Fitch said the two had managed to clear the air, that the fighter would sign the company’s much-maligned video game licensing agreement and was cleared to fight Akihiro Gono at UFC 94, as previously planned.
“Communication kind of broke down with Dana (White) so we talked with Lorenzo,” Fitch told MMARated. “(I) just got off the phone with him and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead and I’ll be back in the UFC. We’re going to sign off on the video game and I’m back. It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”
While I’m certainly glad to hear Fitch is back with the UFC, I’m a little confused about what just happened here. Fitch spoke very passionately about his unwillingness to sign the agreement and how unfair it was to multiple reporters, and now it was never even about the agreement? Did Lorenzo agree to one of the “special contracts” that Fitch claimed Swick and so many others received? Or was it the same lifetime exclusive one that he just spent the last 18 hours telling everyone about? I don’t know, but something must have happened.
Anyways, back to what’s going on, The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Christian Wellisch has also been reinstated. Apparently, he was willing to sign everything, but just got caught in the UFC and AKA’s crossfire. Also, negotiations are still ongoing regarding the other fighters affected.
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somehow reading this story reminds me of mel gibson in braveheart screaming, “FREEDOM!!” It may sound cliche, but i still believe in having rights whether or not i choose to exercise them or not, or whether or not they may ever materialize. if someone wants to take away those rights, and then threatens my livelihood if i don’t give them away according to the “FAVORS” that i need to comply with, then that seems a bit unethical to me. and before everyone says, “they’re a private co./ don’t work for them, etc. etc….i agree w/ that, but only to a point. saying something like that is only valid if you have another company or organization to go to. otherwise, if you only have pretty much ONE choice, then that option sort of becomes moot and meaningless.
can i choose then to not be a fighter - sure. but how logical or practical is that? especially in terms of the age, training, money and lifelong dedication spent towards being a pro fighter. which is why i say that………..
i cannot wait for the day that another promotion is able to truly challenge the ufc so that when they pull their strongarm tactics on the fighters, they can actually say “f*ck u dana” and go elsewhere and really have a place to earn a living. for all the bad crap spoken about the other organizations, it seems they at least didn’t squeeze the lifeblood out of their fighters just so they could earn every red cent from them. to go back to something very relevant that luke thomas of bloody elbow posted in one of the many fitchgate stories: he asked several ?’s re: why the contract needed to be exclusive, why is it absolutely nonnegotiable, why cut fitch completely instead of just out of the game & is this more personal w/ zinkin than w/ fitch himself? the truth is, there really are no answers to these questions that can justify the lifetime issue and the nonpayment to the fighter, including upon his death. & it does not matter to me that currently no org. pays their fighters for dvd’s or the like; they should & hopefully will in the future if the fighters get a union or something similar in terms of banding together.
again, it goes back to freedom and rights. the ufc is categorically trying to take them away, and b/c they are the only real game in town, they can pretty much force the fighter’s hand if they want to eat & continue to live. you can argue all u want that they (the ufc) have the right to do this & it’s about $$, and while that may be true, it does not necessarily make it right or fair or ethical.
i hope ea sports makes a video game and asks fitch to be in it and then let the ufc sue and have their contract declared illegal. that would be the sweetest revenge. i know fitch had to capitulate b/c of monetary reasons b/c there just aren’t too many places to go at this juncture. fitch may never have another video offer, but the fact that he could & now cannot exercise that right is the main crux of the problem for me. the pt. is giving up a right that you have as a person and as an employee of a company and giving up that right due to pressure of not being able to thrive b/c there isn’t enough competition. at some pt. what may seem like a small silly video game can lead to larger issues and rights that slowly are devalued by strongarm tactics.
so much for freedom of autonomy. as fitch said, swick has a “special” deal for a video game so he’s not affected the same way as fitch is; and who knows how many other fighters are exempt from the ufc’s special brand of “offers they can’t refuse.”
maybe it’s time for a ufc - vegas tea party……w/ the aka boys leading the way. hey, ken-flo is from boston, maybe he can give em some pointers.